An employer reportedly invented the mechanical cash register in 1879 to prevent sales clerks from stealing. More than a century later, the problems of accounting for retail sales proceeds and inventory persist. Salespeople are entrusted with valuable merchandise and the proceeds from sales. Problems continue to arise in attempting to hold individual salespeople accountable for their transactions. Accounting problems are particularly noticeable in circumstances where salespeople circulate among customers to transact sales, payment may not be settled until well after the customer has received the merchandise, and merchandize inventory is not easily tracked or managed.
Traditional payment terminals such as POS terminals available from companies including Verifone, Hypercom, Ingenico, Schlumberger or Lipman are basic in their operations and require specific skilled developers to modify terminal applications. In addition, these systems are not intended for mobile use and real-time inventory tracking.
Many facilities/venues are sensitive to the incremental profit added by product sales. Assuming that a significant fraction of the sales revenue currently lost to theft could be accounted for and retained, millions of dollars per year might be saved.